Facebook's plans to redevelop the TE Connectivity campus - a 58-acre site running along Constitution Drive in Menlo Park - are beginning to take shape. The latest development proposal includes a 175,00 S/F hotel and two 75-foot tall office buildings. Facebook purchased the site last year for $101.6 million.
The design features numerous environmentally friendly features, including water-saving systems, and drought-tolerant landscaping. According to a representative from the Gehry Partners, the architectural firm working on the project, vegetation will be heavily incorporated into the campus, and "as the trees grow, the (campus) is really going to disappear into that landscape".
The plan also includes a pedestrian bridge which would go over the Bayfront Expressway to the Bay Trail. The other end of the bridge would go under the new Facebook buildings into a "planned green-space" that would be accessible to the public, providing the Belle Haven community with a pathway to Bedwell Park.
There will be a total of 4,055 parking spaces, including 3,810 for the office buildings and 245 for the hotel.
The Menlo Park Planning Commission did express some concerns about the hotel, which was described as a "select-service" hotel. The city doesn't fully understand who the hotel is intended to serve, and requested that further details be provided by Facebook in subsequent meetings.
The proposal calls for a total floor area of 1.318 million square feet, which is a net increase of 302,000 S/F from the current TE campus. In order for the project to progress any further, the area will need to be rezoned, as the current district only allows for a building height of 35 feet.
The plan also seeks the removal of some heritage trees, which are protected from removal based on their age and circumference. In return for the removal of those trees, Facebook has offered to sign onto a below-market rate housing agreement.
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